1. Field
This disclosure relates to a block for building a toy.
2. Description of the Background Art
Generally, a block for building a toy has male and female connection parts. The male connection part of the one block is inserted into the female connection part of the other block to build a toy. The LEGO group's product is typical of the block of this kind.
There is another kind of block for building a toy, which is equipped with rotatable magnets, each having south and north pole faces. The south pole face of the magnet installed in the one block connects to the north pole face of the magnet installed in the other block or vice versa.
The blocks, each with rotatable magnets, connect to each other, as they are, to build a toy, by enabling the outside faces of magnets in the blocks, which are to come in contact with each other, to have unlike poles. When the outside faces of magnets in the blocks happen to have like poles, any of the magnets rotates itself to have unlike pole.
To do this, the magnet is installed in a case with two opposite spindles protruding from its lateral side, and a body of the block has two opposite holes in the inside wall, into which the two opposite spindles, respectively. The case is rotatable with the two opposite spindles being inserted into the corresponding two holes, respectively. However, particles are trapped between the spindles and the inside walls of the holes, thereby preventing the case from smoothly rotating.
The block has alternate protrusions and indentations on the contact surface. When the blocks connect to each other by magnetic force to build a toy, the protrusions on the contact surface of the one block fit into the indentations on the contact surface of the other block. This prevents the blocks from sliding off with respect to each other. However, the protrusions and indentations are subject to damage. The human body may get hurt with the protrusions. It is difficult to form the alternate protrusions and indentations on the contact surface of the block made of wood.